 The People at DCI Australia
National Patron
Mr Phillip Adams, AO, DUniv. FRSA
For almost 40 years his columns in major newspapers and magazines have provoked discussion and outrage - his books including Adams versus God, The Penguin
Book of Australian Jokes, Retreat from Tolerance, Talkback and A Billion Voices have sold almost a million copies. He has written and presented many TV series,
including "The Big Questions" with Professor Paul Davies.
Billed as the godfather of the Australian film industry, his features include The Adventures of Barry McKenzie, Don's Party, The Getting of Wisdom, Lonely
Hearts and We of the Never Never.
As a consultant to many prime ministers, premiers and federal treasurers he played a key role in the establishment of the Australia Council, the Australian
Film Development Corporation, Australian Film Commission, the South Australian Film Corporation (which became a model for similar organisations
in most states) and the Australian Film Finance Corporation. He has been Chair of the Australian Film Institute, the Australian Film Commission, the
Commission for the Future, the Film Radio and Television Board, Film Australia and the National Australia Day Council.
His board memberships have included Greenpeace Australia, Ausflag, CARE Australia and the National Museum of Australia.
As a broadcaster he has interviewed over 6000 of the world's most prominent politicians, philosophers, economists, scientists, theologians and scholars.
His radio program, "Late Night Live" is broadcast twice a day over the 200-station network of Radio National - and around the world on Radio Australia and the Internet.
Honours include two Orders of Australia, the Senior ANZAC Fellowship, the Australian Humanist of the Year, the Golden Lion at Cannes, the Longford
Award (the highest award of the Australian film industry), an honorary doctorate and the Responsibility in Journalism Award at New York University.
He was recently elected one of Australia's 100 National Living Treasures in a poll conducted by the National Trust.
He writes regularly for The Australian newspaper.
Advisory Panel
Professor Philip Alston
Phillip Alston is Professor of Law at the European University Institute in Florence, and Visiting Global Law Professor at New York University. He
chaired the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights for eight years, until 1998, and was an Independent Expert, appointed
by the UN Secretary-General, to analyse the long-term evolution of the UN human rights treaty system. This led to major reports to the UN General
Assembly in 1989, 1993 and 1997. He is currently directing a project for UNICEF to evaluate the impact of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
and recently completed a large-scale assessment of the human rights policies of the European Union.
Ms Sally Castell-McGregor
Sally Castell-McGregor has had extensive experience in the broad field of children’s services, including civil and criminal jurisdictions and family law.
She has been involved in social reform affecting children at State and Federal level. For twelve years she headed the South Australian Children’s Interests
Bureau, an office she helped establish in 1983 and sustained through many changes until 1995. She was a member of the S.A. Government Task Force
on Child Sexual Abuse in 1986-87 and a member of the S.A. Child Protection Council from 1987-1994. She was appointed as a community member of the
National Child Protection Council in 1991 (an appointment she held until 1995.) and helped in the preparation of the Council’s Child Abuse Prevention
Strategy and in the development of the Council’s Research Agenda. She is a member of a number of National and State organisations committed to the
rights and interests of children and published widely on such matters. Sally is now working in the Aboriginal Services Division of the South Australian
Department of Human Services which has a key role in improving health, social and emotional well-being outcomes for Aboriginal South Australians.
Professor Hilary Charlesworth
Hilary Charlesworth is Director of the Centre for International and Public Law and Professor of law in the Faculty of Law at the Australian National
University. She teaches and researches in the areas of international law and human rights. She is also President of the Australian New Zealand Society of
International Law and a member of the Foreign Affairs Council.
Professor Richard Chisholm
Richard Chisholm, BA, LLB, BCL, AM, was a judge of the Family Court of Australia between 1993 and 2004. Prior to his appointment he was an Associate Professor of Law at the University of New South Wales. He has a long-standing interest in children's rights, and children's law, and has researched and published in this area. He has worked with, and been a member of, the Family Law Council and a number of law reform bodies. He was a Founding Council Member and first Treasurer of the Aboriginal Legal Service. Since leaving the bench, he has continued academic work in the area of family and children’s law. He is an Honorary Professor of Law at the University of Sydney, and a Visiting Fellow at the ANU College of Law.
The Honourable John Fogarty AM.
John Fogarty retired in October 1998 after over 22 years as a Justice of the Family Court of Australia, and 10 years as a Judge of the Appeal Division of
the Court. During that period, he undertook numerous additional responsibilities including: Chairman of the Family Law Council (1983-1986);
Chairman of the Australian Institute of Family Studies (1986-1990) Chairman of the Commonwealth Child Support Consultative Group (1986-1991) and
Chairman of the Victorian Family and Children's Services Council (1988-1991). He has also prepared reports for governments on subjects such as inter
-country adoption, protective services for children in Victoria, and the child support formula in Australia. In January 1992, he was honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia.
Professor Chris Goddard
Dr Chris Goddard is the current Head of Social Work at Monash University and is Director of the Child Abuse and Family Violence Research Unit. He is
also a founder member of Australians Against Child Abuse, where he serves as advisor to the Board, and he is a Director of the Kids First Foundation.
Chris has worked in Social Services in the UK and also worked as a freelance journalist in South and South East Asia. He was formerly Head of Social
Work at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital where he set up the Child Protection Team (now expanded into the Gatehouse Centre). He has
undertaken extensive research into child abuse and family violence. He has published widely in academic journals and the broader media. His most
recent book "Child Abuse and Child Protection: A Guide for Health, Education and Welfare Workers" is published by Churchill Livingstone.
Ms Moira Rayner
Moira Rayner is a lawyer, human rights advocate and a life-long children's rights activist who chaired the Board of the National Children's and Youth Law Centre (which she helped to establish) for seven years. Moira Rayner has been Chairman of the Law Reform Commission in Western Australia, Commissioner for Equal Opportunity in Victoria, a hearings Commissioner of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and acting Deputy Director (Research) of the Australian Institute of Family Studies. In 2000 she became the first Director of the Office of Children's Rights Commissioner for London, which modelled effective children's participation in government and is now an integral part of the Greater London Authority, London's new regional government. She has co-authored several books on governance, human rights, government policy and women and power including Rooting Democracy-Growing the Society We Want published in 1997 and The Women's Power Handbook (with Joan Kirner) published in 1999. She has made policy recommendations on the Commonwealth's role in preventing child abuse (1995) and a review of the research on children and resilience for Deakin University (1998). She speaks and publishes widely on children's rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Webpage: www.moirarayner.com.au
Email address is people@moirarayner.com.au
Mr Sid Spindler
Sid Spindler arrived in Australia as a 17 year old migrant in September, 1949. On arrival he worked in factories and on building sites, later running his own
business and acquiring a law degree through part-time study. In 1974 he became Administrator of the Outer Eastern Regional Council of Social
Development. He then worked at Alice Springs Community College, carried out a Youth Needs Survey for the Northern Territory Government, UN
consultancies in Samoa and Tonga and became Senior Advisor to Don Chipp in 1981.
During his own Senate term 1990-1996 Sid initiated several Senate Inquiries including "Indicators of National Well-being" and "Outworkers in the Garment
Industry". His Private Member's Bill prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of sexuality is still before the Senate with "some hope" of ultimate success.
His motion requesting the Government take action on child labour received unanimous support in the Senate and led to the Government's Tripartite
Inquiry into Labour Conditions, with the Report released in 1996.
He was involved in the negotiations for the 'Mabo' legislation which he considers the high point of his parliamentary work. Following retirement Sid is
practising as a mediator and is continuing several of his parliamentary campaigns: he cofounded Defenders of Native Title and the Victorian
Committee on Deaths in Custody and is currently Australian Chair of the Anti Slavery Society.
 President: Dr Judy Cashmore (NSW)
Judy Cashmore has a PhD in developmental psychology with a background of research related to children's involvement in legal proceedings, family group conferences, child protection,
substitute care and leaving care. The special focus of this research has been on children's perceptions of the process and the implications for social policy. She is an
Honorary Research Associate at the Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales and is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Sydney, and Chair of the
Advisory Board of the Centre for Children and Young People, Southern Cross University.
She led the recent delegation to Geneva to present the Non-Government Report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on behalf of DCI. She
is currently involved in a number of government and non-government committees concerning research and policy in child protection, child death
reviews and the a range of issues affecting children. She was part of the consortium which developed the National Anti-Crime Strategy's Pathways to
Prevention report in relation to juvenile crime. She was involved in establishing, and is an examiner for, the specialist accreditation for legal practitioners
representing children in criminal, welfare and family law matters in NSW.
Email: judycash@bigpond.net.au
Vice President: Associate Professor June Wangmann (NSW)
June Wangmann was the former Head of the Institute of Early Childhood Macquarie University. She took leave from this position in 1997 to work at the
national DCI Office. During this time June researched and prepared a comprehensive analysis of local and overseas children’s rights commissioner
models. From this she developed a consensus model for a National Commissioner for Children and Young People suitable to Australia. More
recently June was responsible for establishing and directing the NSW Parenting and Research Centre within the NSW Department of Community
Services. She has a long standing involvement in child and family services in Australia, serving on many state and national advisory councils, including the
OECD Review of Early Care and Education. June played a major role in the development of the quality assurance system for child care centres in Australia.
June is a member of the ARACY Research Directions Committee, the NIFTEY Board, the Australian Council for Children and Parenting and chairs
the Scientific Advisory Board for the development and implementation of the Commonwealth Government’s Parenting Information Website. She has
received the NSW Children’s Week award and a Centenary Medal for her contributions to services for children and families. June is currently works part
time with the University of Western Sydney to establish a Research Institute for Children Youth and Families, and as an early childhood consultant.
Secretary: Vacant
Treasurer: Ms Helen Bayes
Helen Bayes has degrees in Social Administration and in Social Work, and has worked for Commonwealth and ACT Governments in social policy development and program administration. She been a child rights activist for some 20 years and was the founder of the Australian Section of DCI and its first President. She led the NGO delegation to present the first Australian Alternative Report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child.Helen has also worked at the DCI International Secretariat in Geneva and served on the International Executive Council of DCI.
As the President of the next International General Assembly, Helen is already involved in preparations for this important gathering of DCI representatives, which will be held in Tirana, Albania, in 2008.
She was awarded the 1999 Australian Human Rights Medal for her promotion of
children's rights in Australia.
Helen is a member of the Canberra Quaker Meeting and is also involved in international Quaker work for peace and justice.
Committee:
Ms Diana Batzias (VIC)
Qualifying as a social worker at the University of Adelaide in 1963, Diana has spent most of her working life in Victoria in both the community and public
sectors. Ten years with the Ecumenical Migration Centre in the 70s and 80 in both direct work with migrants and asylum seekers from East Timor and
Vietnam and advocacy for policy and service development, established an ongoing interest in this field. For eighteen years until 2002 Diana worked for
the Victorian Department of Human Services in policy and program development, highlights being implementation of the supported accommodation assistance program and working with the Commonwealth
towards the establishment of the Youth Homeless Allowance and initiatives arising from the Burdekin inquiry into Youth Homelessness. This was followed
by nine years as the CEO of the Melbourne Juveile Justice Centre, formerly "Turana”, a custodial facility for young men, during a period of development
informed by the Children and Young Persons’Act 1989 (Vic).
Diana is on the Boards of Whitelion Inc., which supports young people returning to the community from custody, and the Victorian Women’s Trust
which through its policy and project work and community grants program seeks to promote women’s participation as citizens in a just and humane society.
Email: Diana.Batzias@bigpond.com
Mr Peter Briffa (TAS)
Peter Briffa is a barrister/solicitor employed part time by the Tasmanian Legal Aid Commission in Launceston. He practises in child protection [usually as
the child's representative] child support/maintenance and family law. In addition, he lectures/tutors in "Introduction to Law" at the northern campus of
the University of Tasmania [where he usually teaches teenage undergradutes]. He is a regular facilitator for youth justice community conferences which
apply the principles of restorative justice for youth offenders. In conjunction with his hard working wife he operates a small tourist
operation/cafe/gallery/colonial accommodation in historic Evandale, where he is the benevolent employer of young people. Although he comes from a large
maltese migrant family and was born and educated in Melbourne, he considers himself a pseudo-Tasmanian. He is the proud father of two boys aged 6 and 10.
Email: pbriffa@legalaid.tas.gov.au
Ms Jennifer Harvey (SA)
Jennifer Harvey is a social worker with extensive experience in government, non government agencies and tertiary education. Jennifer's current position is
Senior Policy Officer in the Department for Families and Communities. For most of the past 15 years Jennifer's career has focused upon advocacy and
policy development for children and young people. She worked for six years as a child advocate in the previous South Australian Children's Interests
Bureau. Jennifer taught for several years at the University of South Australia where she encouraged social work students to understand that work for
human rights happens not only at a global level but also in the everyday and the ordinary.
Jennifer's professional and community service endeavours have included membership of the Board of the Service to Youth Council; the Ministerial
Advisory Committee on Alternative Care; and six years as a member of the SA Council on Reproductive Technology. She is a current member of the
Children and the Law Committee of the Law Society of SA. Jennifer is undertaking doctoral research concerning the citizenship of children, and their place in public policy.
Email: harveyjp@senet.com.au
Dr Sue Packer (ACT) AM FRACP
Sue Packer has been a paediatrician since 1972 and has worked in the A.C.T. as the Community Paediatrician and Paediatrician to the Child At Risk
Assessment Unit since 1990. This has encompassed court work and consultation with schools, police, counsellors, foster care and child protection
services as well as involvement in children’s health services. As a result of this, together with her own experiences as a mother and neighbour, she has
come to realise the extent of hardship and disadvantage experienced by so many children in this privileged country. This has led in turn to an intense
concern about the trauma and distress continuing to be suffered worldwide by such a huge number of children.
Because of her concerns about and interest in children, she has joined a number of organisations. These include NAPCAN (National Association for
Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect), AWCH (Association for Welfare of Child Health), the Early Childhood Association and Kidsafe as well as
Defence for Children International. Her intention has been to get a comprehensive picture of the world from a child’s perspective and promote the
interests of children wherever possible. In 1999 she became a Member of the Order of Australia for “Services to child welfare, Paediatrics and the Community”.
Email: Sue.Packer@act.gov.au
Dr Simon Quilty (NT)
Simon Quilty, MB BS MPhilPH Simon is currently working in Royal Darwin Hospital as a junior doctor. He remains invovled in research looking at the health and welfare of children of prisoners.
Email: squilty@med.usyd.edu.au
Magistrate Tina Previtera (QLD)
Tina Previtera is a Magistrate and Relieving Children’s Court Magistrate in Brisbane. Prior to her appointment in 1998, she practised as a lawyer and mediator, in both the legal aid and private sectors for fifteen (15) years, specialising in the promotion of the interests and welfare of children in family law, juvenile justice and child protection proceedings, particularly as a separative legal representative for children.
Since her appointment, Tina has presided in Magistrates Courts, including in the Children’s Court jurisdiction, in both the South-East and the Far North of Queensland. This included a period of 4.5 years in Cairns where she also undertook responsibility to liaise between the court and child protection/youth justice agencies, provide training/information opportunities to departmental staff; and participate with other stakeholders to promote the delivery of appropriate services to young people in the region. Tina regularly presided in the remote communities of Cape York and the Torres Strait Islands and continues to advocate for the improvement of access by young indigenous persons to culturally appropriate support networks/services, through her involvement with court-based committees, other organisations and the publication/presentation of papers on the subject.
Tina is also a Drug Court Magistrate and presided over the pilot program drug court in Cairns from its commencement in 2002 until it gained permanent status. Tina has a strong commitment to the therapeutic jurisprudential practices used in the Drug Court jurisdiction, and firmly believes that such practices should be regularly employed in the delivery of justice services generally, and young people, their families and communities in particular.
Ms Cheryl Cassidy-Vernon (WA)
Cheryl is the Manager of Youth Legal Service (Western Australia). Cheryl’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Social Science and a Master of Service
Administration. She is currently completing a PhD with the School of Social Work at University of Western Australia focusing on how the community
forms myths around juvenile offending. Previously, she was the Director of the social justice centre at the University of Notre Dame, and has had many
years experience in the delivery of social work services to young people and the management of social welfare programs and services.
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